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INTRODUCTION
The Bhagavata Purana
Translation of this great book into a foreign language can never bring the charm and beauty of the original, however erudite, skilful and powerful the translator may be.
The Bhagavata consists of eighteen thousand Slokas, three hundred and thirty-two chapters and twelve Skandhas. The book is named Bhagavata because it speaks of the glory of Bhagavan or Vishnu. It is one of the most authoritative of Hindu scriptures. It is a work of great repute in India. It exercises a direct and powerful influence on the opinions and feelings of the people. It has acquired a wonderful hold on the minds of Hindus. It contains the essence of all the Puranas.
In Bhagavata Purana alone the history of the universe is systematically dealt with. Lord Krishna is the central figure of this unique book. It is an authoritative book on devotion. Bhagavata teaches devotion that is associated with Jnana [1]. It does not divorce knowledge from Bhakti. It teaches that Jnana is extremely helpful to its perfect attainment. In Bhagavata the treacle of Bhakti is mixed with the elixir of Jnana.
The teachings given by Lord Krishna to Uddhava on the eve of His departure from this world,arewonderful. These arecontained intheeleventh Skandha. Sri Krishna clears all the doubts of Uddhava, His friend, foremost disciple and the chief of the Yadavas. He gives instructions on a variety of subjects. But the one ringing note is: “See Me in everything. Surrender yourself to Me. Do all actions for my sake. Cut off all sorts of attachments. Have perfect unswerving devotion to Me. Sing My glories.”
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